FOCUS: RENEWABLE ENERGY TECHNOLOGIES

Project: Demonstration of the use of Local Resources to meet the Energy Needs of an Electrified Village in Karnataka

Funded By: The Science and Society Division of the Department of Science and Technology

Duration: December 2007 to December 2009

There are several remote hamlets in Karnataka that are not electrified through grid power and which are unlikely to be electrified through grid power. TIDE has chosen to electrify one such remote village in the Uttara Kannada district of Karnataka through the pico hydro technology.

The objectives of the project are:

The project has strong techno economic challenges and requires a strong component of innovation. The village is located in a region where there is a dense forest cover and cables have to be laid over a distance of 5kms. The power to be transmitted is also low (10 kW) and so the power and voltage losses should be kept under 5%. The project therefore proposes the use of non-standard cables for power transmission and the use of transformers.

The project team has carried out a socio economic survey and a detailed project report. Based on the DPR, the project has carried out vendor development and placed order for various equipment required. Village meetings have been held to inform the villagers about the project. Power generation is expected to start soon and power distribution a few months later.